Four-wheel truck



Dec. 21 1,517,535

F. R. CORNWALL FOUR-WHEEL TRUCK Filed NOV- 2'7 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l iii i:

(la/afar Patented Dec. 2, 1924-5 E T ED STATES FREDERICK n. CORNWALL, or sr; LOUIS, "mrssounrg MAY BusrmLL CORNWALL, x-

ECU'IRIX OF'SAID FREDERICK CORNWALL, DECEASED, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE SIGNMENTS, T0 MAY 13. CORNWALL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL;

'roUB-w EEn-rnUoxj {a lication filed ovem er-27, 1922. Serial umcoatei'; p g a siding at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new'and useful Improvement in Four-VVheel, Trucks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactgdescrip'tion such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich appertains to make'andjuse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this:

application. My 'nven stockand consistsin an improved-"truck.

The object of my invention is to'provide a flexible car truck of simple economical construction. and 'referenceis made herein to the monorail construction shown in my copending application Serial No, 537,329, filed 'February 17,1922, which embodies some of the principles of my present construction. Y In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment ofmy inventiona Figure 1 is a top view, of my truck. Fig'ure2 is a side elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a perspective detail of one of the truck wheel pieces. Figure 4; is a vertical transverse section taken approximately on line of Figure2. a Y

Figure 5 is a similar section taken 5. 5of Figure 2. i .l a Figure 6 is a side elevationalview of. a modified form of truck bolster bearing.

on line Figure 7 is a plan view of the form shown in Figure 6.

' Mytruck utilizes the ordinary. wheels l, a

axles 2, and journal boxes 3, Each truck side frame comprises a pair ofcrossed arms 4 and 5 each having" one and seated upon a journal box 3 and the other endextending over the other journal boxjon that side of the truck and yieldingly supported from the other cross piece which has one end mounted upon that journalbox. At their crossing points wheel pieces 4 and, 5 are provided with opposed spherical recesses '6 which cooperate to form a socket adapted to receive the spherical, end 7 of afcast vsteel bolster. 8. The wheel pieces; and the holster are positively retained in assembled position by the. opposed faces of a shoulder tion relates to railway: rolling 9 'onthe bolster and a retaining Washer {10 removably secured to the end ofthe bolster. The two wheel pieces are ,yieldingly maintained in; assembled position by virtueof the centeringeffect ofsprings 11, eachcom pressed between anzupwardly facing seat 12 upon the'jou'rnal box engaging end of one wheel piece and a downwardly facingseat 13 uponthe adjacent end ofthe 'other wheel piece. vThese springs are compressed by the weight of the load upon bolster 8 transferred" to the Wheel pieces through the ball and socketjoint. a 2 i he journal box engaging portion ofeach wheel piece is formed with spherical bosses 14 whereby a swiveling contact with the ournal box is provided which, with the ball and socket assembly of the two'wheel pieces. and the bolster, enables thetruck to flex at any one' ot'a plurality of points ac eordmg to thegapplication of stresses there I Iprefer to provide the ends of the wheel pieces with a simple shock absorbing device comprisingfafbolt' 15; and a spring 1 6 confined between one, end thereof and the opposing face of; one of, the -wheel pieces and the expansion of which "opposes the expansion of spring 11; These elements will damp the normal vibrations 1 produced by springs 11"andwhen-thextruck isseparated from the car will prevent an abnormal position of the Wheel pieces'which would render theiras'semblygwith each other and with the bolster too loose'to permitthe truck'to be moved aboutwith safety.

vided with a horn-like extension 17 projecth Each of the side 'iramesfe and 5 is proing beyondfthe journal box pedestals, said extensions providing a support'for the brake riggingand also'means for attachmentof a tie-bolt or rod 18 constituting an end frame on the truck. This tie bolt is pref- .erably upset or provided with integral U '7 "heads near each end, with threaded-ex tremities whereby the same may be secured by nuts in position to 'theextensions 17 but by virtue otits flexibility said tie-bolt vcan be flexed slightly toaccommodate the weaving movementofthe truck frame'mjem 105 hers inuservice.

Referring to'Figures 6 and 7, thebolster member 8 is provided witha'finned'trunnion 8' at each endwhich trunnion :hasan j is theshead 8 ofthe trunnion, by being incesses in the side frame members 4 and 5.

The recesses in-these side frame members are open at the top, said openings being closed by plates 5 and 4", said plates being held in position by bolts 5 and 4. In operation, the plates 4 and 5", by spanning the trunnion seats, serve ascompression blocks and enable the bolster to be introduced into the side frames of a truck from above. This dispenses with the rocker bearing and washers and other detachable parts, because tegral, tends to. hold the side truck frames in proper position on the trunnion, there being sufficient play to permit slight flexibility of the parts.

.It will be further observed that the truck side frames are so disposed as to give access to the brake heads or shoes, whetherinside or outside hung, without necessitating the unhinginp' of the brake beams. The distance of the springs 11 from the pivotal connection between the crossed side frames determines'the length and character of said springs, each spring serving as a yielding support both for theybolster and for the journal box. Hence, these springs'are' practi'cally universal in action. The truck wheels are flexibly connected for independent arouate movement, the axis of their movement being the pivotal connection between the truckv side frames. Thepoint of reaction of the superposed load, through the bolster is at the pivotal point of connection of the side frames of the truck and is equally distributed by said side frames upon the 1 journal boxes and supporting springs, respectively. Thus, saidside frames serve in effect as equalizing members in equally distributing the load fromthe bolster between the journal boxes. A Each wheel ,piece is preferably formed from-a single casting. having the I-shaped section, shown in Figure 4. This construction enables the metal to be disposed so as to secure the desired cross-section at any pointand enables the wheel pieces to be mianufactured with the highest degree of economyincos't and weight. n 1 Obviously,the positioning of springs 11 longitudinally ofthe wheel pieces may be 'varied without 'afi'ecting the principle of operation and various other details of the truck may be changed without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

. L-In ac'ar truck, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical .plane and pivoted together at their crossing point, each supported at both of its ends, and a bolster supported at one end by said pieces.

2. In a car truck, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical plane and pivoted together at their crossing point, each supported at both ends, and a bolster supported at one end by saidpieces at theirintersection.

3. In a car truck, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical plane and pivoted together at their crossing point, each supported at both of its ends, and a bolster supported at one end by said pieces at their intersection by means of a universal joint.

4. In a car truck, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical plane and pivoted together at their crossing point, each supported at both of its ends and having at least one end'yieldingly supported, and a bolster supported at one end by said pieces.

5. In a car truck, wheeled axles, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical plane and pivoted together at their crossing point, each having one end supported upon one of said axles and having its opposite end supported directly above the'other of said axles, and abolster'supponted at one end by said pieces.

,6. In a car truck, wheeled'axles, a pair of wheel pieces crossed in a vertical plane and pivoted togetherat their crossing point, each having one end rigidly supported uponone of said axles and having its'opposite end yieldingly su ported directly above the oth er of said ax es, and a bolster supported at one end by said pieces.

7. In a car truck, a bolster having a ball terminal, and crossed wheel pieces cooperating to providea socket adapted to receive said ball terminal, and pivotally assembled with each other.

8. In a car truck, axle journal boxes, a bolster, crossed wheel pieces pivoted to each other to swing in a vertical plane and supporting one end of said bolster, each of said pieces supported near one end upon one of said journal boxes and near its opposite end yieldingly supported upon the other wheel piece, and a yielding tensionconnection between the adjacent ends of said wheel pieces. I

I, 9. In acar truck, axle journal boxes, a pair of wheel pieces crossing each other in a vertical plane, each-supported near one end upon one of said journal boxes, yielding means interposed between its opposite end and the other wheel piece, and shock absorbing elements opposing said means.

10. In a car truck, side frames each comprising crossed wheel-pieces, each of which is supported at its ends upon a journal box and the other wheel piece respectively, and a pivoted connection between the journal box supported ends of opposite wheel pieces.

11. In a car truck, axle journal boxes, a

bolster having spherical ends, side frames eachcomprising a pair of associated wheel pieces provided intermediate their ends with opposed sockets adapted to engage one of said bolster ends, each wheel piece at one end having a pivotal engagement with one of said journal boxes and with the corresponding wheel piece on the op osite side of the car and at its other end ing supported upon the associated wheel piece.

12. In a car truck, a bolster having a spherical end, crossed wheel ieces provided at their crossing point wit op osed recesses adapted to receive said bo ster end, and means securing said wheel pieces against lateral separation.

13. A cast Wheel piece for car trucks including a laterally presented socket near its longitudinal center, a downwardly facin journal box receiving recess near one en and an upwardly facing spring seat near said recess, and a downwardly facing .spring seat near its opposite end located in the same vertical plane as said upwardly facing spring seat.

14. A cast wheel piece for car trucks including a laterally presented socket near its longitudinal center, an inverted U-shapedv recess near one end, the walls and bottom of said recess having convex spherical contours to provide swiveling engagement thereof with a journal box, an upwardly facing spring sea-t above said recess and a downwardly facing spring seat at its ogposite end adapted to align vertically with t e upward- 1y facing spring seat of a similar cooperative wheel Piece.

15. n a car truck, a pair of crossed wheel pieces pivotally connected together, a bolster supported by said wheel pieces, and end frame connections between said wheel pieces.

connection 16. In a car truck, a pair of crossed wheel pieces pivotally connected together, a bolster supported thereby, and extensions projecting beyond certain of said wheel pieces providing supports for the brake beam.

17. In a car truck, a pair of crossed wheel pieces pivotally connected together and each of which is provided with horn-like extensions and tie rods connecting said extensions.

'18. In a car truck, a pair of crossed wheel pieces pivotally connected together, a bolster trunnioned in said wheel pleces, means on said bolster for holding said wheel pieces in assembled relation, and springs introduced between the ends of said crossed wheel pieces.

19. A car truck whose wheels are pivotally connected together for independent arcuate movement, and a bolster for transmitting the load equally between the wheels and at a point coincident with the ivotal connection between the side frames 0 the truck.

20. A. car truck having crossed side frames pivotally connected to ether, springs interposed between their en and means for applyin the load to the pivotal point of dietwecn said frames, whereby said frames serve to act as equalizing bars.

21. In a car truck, the combination of wheels, axles and their journal boxes, of truck side frames pivotally supported at one and upon said journal boxes, and pivotally connected together at a point between their ends, and springs co-o crating with the free ends of said truck si e frames on opposite sides of their pivotal point of connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 24th day of November, 1922.

FREDERICK R. CORNWALL. 

